Get access to this article and to all of thebmj.com for 14 daysSign up today for a 14 day free trial

President Bush laid out the federal plan to tackle the risk of an influenza pandemic in a 30 minute speech on 1 November before six cabinet secretaries, top US health officials, and World Health Organization and United Nations' directors.

After outlining the history of previous pandemics, including the 1918 flu that killed more than half a million Americans, he set three goals—detecting outbreaks, stockpiling vaccines, and having emergency plans in place.

As part of the initiative to detect outbreaks before they spread across the world, Mr Bush had previously announced a new International Partnership …